Taapsee is thrilled to be Santa for HT Brunch. The experience makes up somewhat for her terrible disappointment when she first discovered that Santa Claus does not exist.

“I was absolutely devastated,” she says. “As a child, I’d religiously make a wish list for Santa and keep it inside a sock before going to bed on Christmas Eve. And in the morning, there would be gifts inside the sock. However, my innocence was lost when I was around 13. I realised that, increasingly, instead of chocolate, the sock was yielding fruit. I got suspicious. The next Christmas Eve, I actually counted all the fruit inside the refrigerator. The next morning, there was an apple in my sock and one missing from the refrigerator. I was heartbroken when I realised that my parents had tricked me all those years.”

The experience, she says, scarred her for life – but Christmas is still one of her favourite festivals. “Something about Christmas transcends all religious barriers,” she says. “In Delhi, Christmas means party time. The weather is absolutely gorgeous and the houses are all lit up. Unlike Diwali, the festival of lights, Christmas is quiet. There is no bursting of crackers that leads to pollution. I love that. But the best part about Christmas has to be the gifts – and the cake!”